{"product_id":"9781939994226","title":"Shakespeare For Beginners","description":"\u003cbr\u003eDespite the reshifting of values that has affected every aspect of life in the 21st century, William Shakespeare still stands as the greatest writer the English language has ever produced. Even so, many people have never read him. If you have never read “the Bard”—or if you’ve tried and given up in frustration—you need \u003ci\u003eShakespeare For Beginners\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAuthor Brandon Toropov opens with the observation that Shakespeare’s genius is not in his (or England’s) history, it’s in his words, most notably, his plays—in his brilliant stories, unforgettable characters, and the impossible beauty of his language. So, \u003ci\u003eShakespeare For Beginners\u003c\/i\u003e skips the historical foreplay and goes straight to Shakespeare’s plays. The book offers clear, concise descriptions and plot summaries of each play; it lists key phrases and important themes, explains the main ideas behind each work and features excerpt of important passages (with explanatory notes on tough words.) And it is the only ‘entry level’ book available outside Great Britain that covers all of Shakespeare’s plays. \u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBrandon Toropov\u003c\/b\u003e is a playwright, author, and confirmed Shakespeare fanatic who lives in Massachusetts. His plays include \"Seven Affidavits on Authority\", produced in Boston and Providence, Rhode Island, in 2000; \"An Undivided Heart\u003ci\u003e\"\u003c\/i\u003e, workshopped at the National Playwrights Conference in 1994; and \"The Job Search\", produced at the Manhattan Punch Line in 1987. As an actor, he has performed in productions or adaptations of \"The Tempest\", \"A Midsummer Night’s Dream\", and \"Macbeth\". He has authored over a dozen books on popular culture, business, and religion, including \u003ci\u003eWho Was Eleanor Rigby?, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Urban Legends\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eThe Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Koran\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eJoe Lee\u003c\/b\u003e is an illustrator, cartoonist, writer, and clown. With a degree from Indiana University centering on Medieval History, Joe is also a graduate of Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey’s Clown College. He worked for some years as a circus clown. He is the illustrator of a baker’s dozen of For Beginners books including, \u003ci\u003eBarack Obama\u003c\/i\u003e, [Howard] \u003ci\u003eZinn, Shakespeare, Postmodernism, Deconstruction, Eastern Philosophy\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eGlobal Warming \u003c\/i\u003eamong others. Joe lives in Bloomington, Indiana with his wife Mary Bess, son Brandon, cat George, and the terriers (or rather terrors) Max and Jack.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"For Beginners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47184910483696,"sku":"9781939994226","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781939994226_p0.jpg?v=1763667863","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781939994226","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}